Two athletes were only able to leave the stadium in a wheelchair after their competitions on Thursday. The reason: Corona. The number of cases in Paris is increasing. Which ones are known so far.
It was still enough for bronze, but Noah Lyles was completely out of the running and had no chance in the 200-meter race. The US sprint star wanted to triumph over the double distance after his gold medal over 100 meters on Thursday.
But a corona infection two days before the race weakened him and thwarted his plans.
Even before his start, it was noticeable that Lyles was wearing a mask in the catacombs. After the run, it was clear why. Lyles revealed his Covid illness. “I still wanted to run. They said it was impossible,” he said afterwards. His time of 19.70 seconds was extremely respectable under the circumstances, even if it was almost four tenths of a second off his best time.
However, Lyles was unable to leave the stadium on his own afterward. He simply ran out of breath and was pushed out in a wheelchair – just like the German long jumper Malaika Mihambo, who had contracted a severe corona infection in the run-up to the games, which had a significant impact on her during and after her competition.
The US federation had approved Lyles’ start and had been following a corona protocol since the positive test. “It definitely affected me, but honestly I’m as proud as anything of myself for going out and getting the bronze medal with Corona,” Lyles said.
Nevertheless, the games are now probably over prematurely for the 27-year-old. “I believe this will be the end of my 2024 Olympic Games,” he wrote on Instagram. His planned start in the relay is therefore extremely unlikely.
As is now known, Lyles is no longer an isolated case of corona in Paris. The Australian team is also affected. Swimmers Zac Stubblety-Cook and Lani Pallister, for example, made their corona illness public. The Australian Olympic Committee announced in a statement that a total of 16 athletes from Down Under had tested positive – upon arrival, during training or competition, or after a competition, it said.
Video | Malaika Mihambo reports breathing problems
Source: reuters
However, team doctor Dr. Carolyn Broderick assessed the number of corona cases as “in line with expectations” given that there are more than 1,000 Australian athletes in the accommodation.
British swimming star and world record holder Adam Peaty is another prominent case. He won silver in the 100-meter breaststroke and tested positive the next day. Sasha Batt from Malta was another swimming athlete who tested positive.
Last week, a few days before the start of his competition, the German decathlete Manuel Eitel also had to cancel his start due to Covid.
As the US news site “today” reports, at least 40 corona cases have now occurred among the approximately 11,000 athletes at the Games in Paris.
